"Give him to me," I said in a voice I didn't recognize. "If you touch him again, I will kill your entire Kingdom and blow Xanthia off the fucking map."
"Give her the child," many Fairies wailed as they convulsed above our heads.
"Stop this madness," one screamed. "She will kill us all."
The chant started softly but rose to deafening proportions quickly. "Give her the baby. Give her the baby. Give her the baby."
"Never," The Corrine screamed. She was losing it. Her eyes were wild and unfocused and the knife was entirely too close to my child's neck. "Ethan, the choice is yours. Mate with me and I will let this horrid child live."
There was a decision to make and it had to be fast.
"He'll do it," I yelled to the shock of everyone, but mostly myself. "But I will take the child." I had no clue that would come from my mouth but I was desperate.
I felt Ethan's glare on my back, but he said nothing. I hoped to Hell that he trusted me because I was lying like a rug.
"Why should I believe you?" she demanded. She was shaking with so much rage, she almost dropped Samuel. "I want to hear it from my lover Ethan."
My stomach roiled as I thought of them together. The Mini Elves flew frantically around my head, muttering and cursing. Martha and Jane stood in defensive stances next to me and didn't take their eyes off of The Corrine. Ethan stepped forward and brushed my body with his as he approached her.
Her smile was insane. She truly thought she had won. As Samuel fell from her clutches, Martha dove like an Olympic swimmer and grabbed him safely in her arms before he hit the ground. Blindly, The Corrine flew into Ethan's arms. Her ego and stupidity knew no bounds. Could unrequited obsession do this to a person? Or was she simply bat-shit crazy?
Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as my mate walked toward the nightmare. Martha and Jane backed away with Samuel, immediately offering up their wrists. Samuel latched on and drank like a starving person. If it was possible I hated the abomination even more. She had cut and starved my child. The wailing and shrieks of the Fairies suspended in the air sounded like a macabre soundtrack to a frighteningly real horror movie.
I wanted to hold my baby, but what was unfolding before my eyes was too horrid to be real. I was glued to my spot watching what I said would happen come true. Had Ethan thought I was serious? Was he going to mate with The Corrine to save me and his child?
WTF?
The Corrine's maniacal laugh filled my brain and I fell to the floor, but my eyes were still on the performance in front of me—the most tragic play I would ever see in my life. Each step he took toward The Corrine killed pieces of my soul. The sound of his feet walking away from me on the golden stage slowly ripped at me and created a wound that would never heal. My body was useless and my magic meant nothing anymore. I'd been the author of this play. I didn't want to watch the end. The curtain call was going to destroy me, but our son was safe. I knew I would live as a hollow shell for eternity, but I would have done the same to save Samuel. I wasn't even angry at Ethan. I loved him even more.
He wove his strong, beautiful hands into The Corrine's long golden locks and lowered his lips to hers. Her panting moans of need were horrific. I tried to look away, but I couldn't. It was impossible. Seized with panic, I realized I had sentenced my mate to Hell on earth.
As I listened for the sound of his fangs piercing her skin, I stopped and jerked to a sitting position. What was he doing? Why wasn't he biting her? Had the end of the play changed? Had the actors disregarded the script and improvised? Just as Ethan's lips touched hers, his arms jerked to the left. He swiftly and emotionlessly tore her head clean off of her body. The gasps and shrieks of horror from the Fairies were deafening. My smile split my face—Ethan had just Anne Boleyned her in a big bad Vampyre way. He was my hero. He winked and kicked the head of the monster to me.
"A little gift, my love," he said casually.
“Much appreciated," I replied and examined the offending appendage.
It was the most beautiful bloody sight I'd ever seen. The severed head of The Corrine lay before me and the lifeless body of the bitch lay at Ethan's feet. The wailing had stopped. Not a sound could be heard in the ballroom, except for Samuel’s slurping from Jane's wrist. Martha had blocked his sightline and he had witnessed none of it. I would forever be in their debt. The silence was eerie but fitting. Ding dong the witch was dead…
My gaze met my mate's and his intensity went all through me. He was my hero, my love and my everything. If I could breathe, I would have heaved the biggest sigh of relief known to man. I wanted to hold Ethan and Samuel and get lost in them forever, but I had a few more things to accomplish before that was possible.
I stood up, gripping the head of evil in my hands. Her eyes were open and they stared at me vacantly. It made me ill. I turned to Susu, Lulu and Huhu. They were chomping at the bit and their eyes were wild.
"Are you hungry?" I asked as I tossed The Corrine's head at their feet.
They squealed with vicious delight and nodded their heads frantically.
"Eat her," I commanded.
And they did.
Chapter 21
After a trauma, like stitches or a skinned knee, a parent should hold their child close and let them know that they are on their side. Let your little one know that he is loved and understood. If the ordeal was far more serious, the parent should listen to the child's needs. Let the child lash out in a safe place where he is comfortable. In other words, let them fight their demons. If the Demons are real, make sure that your child has adequate weapons…swords and magic are always a good choice. No, we are not kidding.